Signaling device.



M. CERF, JR.

SIGNALING D EVIGE APPLICATION FILED OCT. I6, I9I4.

Patented June 20, 1916.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

W'lT/YIiSlY/LS'; 75 4 INVENTOR.

M. CERF, 1a.

SIGNALING DEVICE.

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SIGNALING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patgnted J 2Q 1916 Application filed October 16, 1914. Serial No. 868,894.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MAXIMILLIAN CERF, J r., a citizen of the United States, residing at Louisville, in the county of Jefferson and 'State of Kentucky, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Signaling Devices, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a signaling de-' Vice, capable of general applicatiombnt primarily intended for use on automobiles; and has for its object to provide electrically-operated means directly under the control of the operator for operating signaling devices, either luminous or non-luminous, to indicate proposed changes in direction of movement.

My invention further comprises'an electric motor control by which the signals can be operated to make the desired indications, and then restored to normal from either of the indicating positions.

Other objects of the invention will appear from the specification and claims.

- A preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a top view ofthe controller and its operating motor with the cover removed; Fig. 2 is a side elevation ofFig. 1; Fig. 3 is a diagram showing the circuit connections; Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the controller brushes; Fig. 5 is a development of the controller drum, the dotted lines indicating the zones of engagement with the brushes; Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the front part of an automobile with my indicator in place; Fig. 7 is an elevation of one form of indicator; and Fig. 8 is a cross-section on plane 88 of Fig. 7.

Referring to Fig. 1, 1 is an electric motor mounted on a base 16. 2 is a gear on the motor shaft engaging the pinion 3 on a shaft 4 having a Worm 5, engaging the teeth of a gear 6, secured to a vertical shaft 7,1nounted (Fig.2) on a ball-bearing 84 in the base 16. The gear 6 has teeth on only half of its periphery, as it is required to rotate only 180, from the extreme rightto extreme left-hand position. As shown in Fig. 1, it is in its extreme left-hand position.

Pins 9 and 10 on the upper surface of gear 6 arearranged to engage opposite sides of a spring blade 8, secured to the top of a frame 15, andthereby keep gear 6 111 mesh with Worm 5. Pins 11 and 12, secured to the base 16, are engaged by a rod 13, secured to shaft 7, to limit the movement of the indicator.

Mounted on the vertical shaft 7 is a controller drum of insulating material, carrying on its surface the conducting plates or segments 85, S6, 87, 88, 89, 90, and 91, arranged as shownin rig. 5. The segment 85 is of such width that in the normal or neutral position, it is not in contact with the brushes on either side, but when the drum is rotated to the right or left, makes contact with the corresponding' brushes. The segment 86 is long enough to bridge the gap between brushes 28 and in all positions of the controller. The segment 87 is of the same width as segment 85. The segment 90 is a wear-plate and has no electrical function. The segment91 is long enough to make con tact between brushes 23 and 30, when the drum is in neutral position, but breaks one of these contacts when the drum is rotated either to the right or the left. The segments 86, 87, 88, 89, and 91 are all electrically connected, as shown.

The spring brushes 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 27, 28, 29, 30, are mounted on a support 17 of insulating material, constructed and arranged as shown in Fig. 4. Secured to the upper end of vertical shaft 7 is a rod 24, carrying at its upper end an indicator, which, as shown in Fig. 2, may be a pointer 25; or, as shown in Figs. 6, 7, and 8, the indicator 26 may be made hollow, with a lamp 31 inside, the lamp being inclosed between two caps 35, 36, colored respectively .red and green, the outer shell having suit able transparent portions 35, 36. Wires 60 and 73 lead to the socket 32 of the lamp 31 and are connected to a socket 34.

The automobile is equipped with rear and front green lights 41, 42 (Fig. 3), on the right-hand side, rear and front red lights 43, 44, on the left-hand side, a red tail-light 45, right and left head-lights 46,47, showing white, and a signal horn 48. These lights are all. preferably, electric lights and the horn is electrically operated.

The method of operation and the electrical connection will be readily understood from Fig. 3. Three push-buttons 37, 38, 39, are provided to operate the indicator, lights and horn, and is a push-button for operating the signal horn independently. These push-buttons, which may be located on the steering-wheel (Fig. 6) are provided current and 50, 51 are separately-operated singlepole switches for controlling the current.

Normally the controller drum occupies a position in which its center, indicated at the line w-a: in Fig. 5, is located midway between the two sets of contact brushes shown in Fig.4. In this position, the segment 91 connects contact brushes 23 and 30, while segment 86 connects contact brushes 20 and 28. Current flows from the battery through wire 75 to brush 28, segment 86, brush 20,

thence through wire 60, signal lamp 31, wire 73, and switch 50, back to battery, when the switch is closed. Current also flows from wire 60, over wire 64, through the central tail light 45, thence by wires 72 and 73, back to battery. Current also flows from brush 28, through segments 86,-

87, 88, 89, and 91 to the two contacts 23 and 30, whence it flows through wires 70 and 63, respectively, to the head-lights 47 and 46, respectively, the circuit being completed through the wires 68 and 72 to the common return 73. It will be seen, therefore, that the circuit for all four of the lights 31, 45, 46, and 47, is controlled by the switch 50, and that by opening such switch, as would ordinarily be done during the daytime, these lights can be extinguished. The motor-controlling circuits for operating the signal or indicator are independent of the switch 50, as is also the circuit for operating the electric horn. This latter circuit can be traced from the battery through switch 51, Wire 66, horn 48, wire 74, and wires 92 and 83, back to battery, the pushbutton 40 being interposed between the two last-mentioned wires. It will be apparent,

therefore, ,that the horn can be operated en tirely independent of any of the other lights or signals, although. as .will appear later, means are provided for automatically operating the horn in conjunction with the signals and indicator..

When it is desired to turn to the left, the button 37 is pushed, thus connecting the motor in the following circuit': from battery 49, through switch 51, wire 56, button 37, wire 82, field winding 55,- wire 78, field winding 53, wire 79, motor armature, wire 80, and wire 75, back to battery. This will cause the motor to revolve in such a direction as to turn the shaft 24 and indicator 26 to the left, at the same time rotating", con troller drum 14 in the same direction. The rotation of the drum brings the segment 85 into position to bridge contacts 18 and 27,

and the segment 87 into position to bridge contacts 28 and 29. Current then flows from contact 28, whichis permanently connected to the battery, over segment 87 to contact 29, and thence over wire 71, throughthe left-hand signal lights 43, 44, to the common return wires 72 and 73. At the same time, segment 91 is moved out of engagement. with contact 23 and the left-hand head-light 47 connected with this contact, is therefore extinguished. The movement of the drum to the left has also resulted in bringing segment 89' into engagement with contact 22, thereby operating the electric horn over the following circuit: from contact 28, over segments 86, 87, and 89, to contact 22, thence over wires 62 and 74, through horn 48, wire 66, and switch 51, back to battery. It will, therefore, be obvious that the result of depressing button 37 is to turn the indicator to the left, to extinguish the left-hand head-light 47, to light the left-hand signal lights 43 and 44, and to sound the horn 48.

In order to restore the parts to normal, to relight the head-lights and to cause the indicator to again point straight ahead,- the button 38 is depressed. This has the effect of throwing the motor into a circuit as follows: from the battery over switch 51, wire 56, button 38, wire 58, contact 18, segment 85, (which now bridges contacts 18 and 27), contact 27, wire 59, wire 81, field-winding 54, wire 76, field-winding 52, wire 77 wire 79, armature, wire 80, and wire 75, back to battery. It will be observed that in the circuit just traced, the'current flows through the armature in the same direction, but through windings 52 and 54, which are wound to produce a magnetic field of opposite polarity from that set up by the windings 53 and 55, which were thrown in circuit by the button 37. It will be understood that these windings 52, 53, 54, and 55' may be wound upon the same or separate polepieces in any desired or well-known manner. The result therefore, of the energize-tion of windings 52 and 54 is to cause the motor clears contact 27, thereupon the circuit will be broken at the contact 27 and the motor will stop, leaving the drum and indicator in their normal or central position.

If it is desired to turn to the right, the button 39 is depressed, thus energizing the motor through the same circuit as that just described, including the wire 81 and fields 52 and 54, such circuit being completed through the push-button 39 instead of through the contact 27. The motor will therefore turn farther toward the right, causing the segments 86, 87 to bridge contacts 20 and 21, thereby completing the circuit of the right-hand signal lights. This circuit is traced as follows :from contact 28, through segments 86 and 87, contact 21, wire 61, lamps 41 and 42, wires 67 and 68, to

the common return 72. At the same time,

segment 91 is moved out of engagement with coiltuct 30 and this extinguishes the "right head-light 46. Also the horn 48 is operated from the same circuit as before, except that in'this instance. contact is made with segment 88. It may here be noted that segment 90 has no electrical function, but is merely a wear-plate upon which the contact brush 22 bears. From the above, it will be seen that the result of depressing button V and drum maybe swung directly from left to right, or vice versa, "by operating first, button 37 and then 39 directly, without the necessity for the intermediate use of button 38. From what has been said, it is evident that the buttons 37 and 39 always serve to operate the motor in opposite directions, and that the button 38 serves to reverse the motor after it has been operated by either button 3'? or 89.

/Vhat I claim is 1.,A signaling system comprising an in (heating device, a controller drum, an electric motor, the poles of which may be energized to cause rotation in opposite directions, said motor being operati ely connected with said indicating device and controller drum, a battery, a circuit closer in circuit with said battery and motor to cause rotation in one direction, a second circuit closer in a second circuit with said battery and mo tor tocause rotation in the other direction, and a third circuit closer and electrically connected devices operated by said drum and by which said third circuit closer closes either one or the other of the two first-mentioned circuits.

2. A signaling system comprising an indicating device, a controller drum, an electric motor, the poles of which may be energized to cause rotation in opposite directions, said motor being operatively connected with said indicating device and controllerdrum, a battery, a circuit closer in circuit with said battery and motor to cause rotation in one direction, a second circuit closer in a second circuit with said battery and motor to cause rotation in the other direction, a third circuit closer and electrically connected devices operated by said drum and by which said third circuit closer closes either one or the other of the two first-mentioned circuits, and a plurality of signal lamp circuits also cont-rolled by said drum.

3. A signaling system, comprising an indicating device, a controller drum, a reversible electric motor operatively connected with both said device and drum, a battery, a pair of circuit closers in circuits connecting said battery and motor for selectively ener gizing the motor so as to cause it to move the indicating device in either one direction or the other, as desired, and a third circuit closer, coiiperating, when actuated, with said controller drum to so energize the motor as to cause it to move said indicating device in a direction the reverse of that in which it was last moved by either one of said first mentioned pair of circuit closers, a signal light and head-light on each side of the automobile, and means controlled by said drum for lighting a signal light and extinguishing the corresponding head-light at each change of direction.

4. A signaling system comprising an indicating device, a controller drum, an electric motor, the poles of which may be energized to cause rotationin opposite directions, said motor being operatively.connected with said indicating device and controller drum, a battery, a circuit closer in circuit with said battery and motor to cause rotation in one direction, a second circuit closer in a second circuit with said battery and motor to cause rotation in the other direction, a third circuit closer and electrically connected devices operated by said drum and by which said third circuit closer closes either one or the other of the two first-mentioned circuits, and means controlled by said drum for lighting a signal light and extinguishing the corresponding head-light at each change of direction.

5. A signaling system, comprising an indicating device, a controller drum, a reversible electric motor operatively connected with both said device and drum, a battery, a pair of circuit closers-in circuits connecting said battery and motor 'for selectively energizing the motor so as to cause it to move the indicating device in either one direction or the other, as desired, and a third circuit closer, cooperating, when actuated, with said controller drum to so energize the motor as to cause it to move said indicating device in a direction the reverse of that in which it was last moved by either one of said first mentioned pair of circuit closers, an electrically actuated horn and means carried by said drum to momentarily close the circuit to the horn at each operation of said indicating device.

6. In an automobile signaling system, thecombination of a battery, a reversible motor, a controller drum operatively connected with said motor; a set of lights comprising rear and front signal lights and a head-light located on each side of the automobile, and a tail-light; two sets of contacts connected to circuits including said lights, and contact pieces on said drum engaged by said c0ntacts and so arranged that in the normal position current is delivered to the head-lights and tail light, and that in either the rightor the left-hand position of the drum the corresponding headlight is extinguished and the signal lights are lighted; and separate switches in circuit with the motor and battery, one'for causing the motor to rotate to the right, a second to cause the motor to rotate to the left, and a third connecting the battery and motor through connections on the controller drum for restoring the motor to normal position from either side.

7. In an automobile signaling system, the combination of a battery, a reversible motor, a controller drum operatively connected with said motor, a d1rect1on ind cating de-' vice and lamp also operatively connected with said motor shaft; a set of lights comprising rear and front signal lights and a head-light located on each side of the automobile, and a tail-light; two sets of contacts connected to circuits including said lights,

. and contact .pieces on said drum engaged by said contacts and so arranged that in the normal position current is delivered to the head-lights, tail-light and direction lamp, and that in either the rightor the lefthand position of the drum the corresponding head-light is extinguished and the signal lights are lighted; and separate switches in circuit with the motor and batter one for causing the motor to rotate to the right,- a second to cause the motor to rotate to the left, and a third connecting the battery and motor through the contro ler for restoring the motor to normal position from either side. v t

8. In an automobile signaling system, the combination of a battery, a reversible motor, a controller drum operatively connected with said motor, a direction indicating device 7 and lamp also operativly connected with said motor shaft; a set of lights comprising rear and front signal lights and a headlight located on each side of the automobile, and a taillight; two sets of contacts connected to circuits including said lights, and contact pieces on said drum engaged by said contacts and so arranged thatdelivered. to the head-lights, tail-light and direction in the normal position currentis lamp, and that in either the rightor the left-hand position of the drum the corresponding headlight is extinguished and the signal lights are lighted; and separate switches in circuit with the motor and battery, one for causing the motor to rotate to the right, a second to cause the motor to "other of'the twoand an electrically actuated lamps, switching means in circuit with said motor, controller, and lamps, said controller drum arranged to simultaneously extinguish a head-light and light its corresponding signal lamp on either side of the vehicle.

10. A signaling system, comprising a controller drum, a reversible electric motor operativcly connected with said drum, a battery, a pair of circuit closers in circuits connecting said battery and motor for'selectively energizing the motor so as to cause it to move the controller drum in either one direction or the other, as desired, and a third circuit closer, cooperating, when ac tuated, with said controller drum to'so energize the motor as to cause it to move said controller drum in a direction the reverse of that in which it was last moved by either one of said first-mentioned pair of circuit closers, a signal light and head-light on each side of the automobile, and means controlled by said drum for lighting a signal light and extinguishing the corresponding head-light at each change of direction.

11. A. signaling system, comprising a controller drum, an electric motor, the poles of which may be energized to cause rotation in opposite directions, said motor being operatively connected with said controller drum, :1 battery, a circuit closer in circuit with said battery and motor to cause rotation in onedirection, a second circuit closer in a second circuit with said battery and motor to cause rotationin the other direction, a third circuit closer and electrically connected devices operated by said drum by which said third circuit closer closes either one or the first-mentioned circuits, and means controlled by said drum for lighting a signal light and extinguishing the corresponding head-light at each change in direction.

' In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ANNA MARIE HAsLETT, H. V. HARRIS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commiuloner e1 Patents.

Washington, D. .3 

